Heated nebulizer spray unit

ABSTRACT

This spray unit includes a container and a closure cap. A nebulizer unit and a heater unit are attached to the closure cap and so arranged that the heater element and the aspirator tube of said units are located side-by-side and project into the container parallel to each other. The heater element and the aspirator tube are clamped together so that the column of liquid passing up the aspirator tube is subjected to localized, rapid heating.

v United States Patent Rogers [54] HEATED NEBULIZER SPRAY UNIT [72] Inventor: Gerald L. Rogers, Ballwin, Mo.

[73] Assignee: Stile-Craft Manufacturers, Inc., St.

- Louis, Mo.

22 Filed: Nov. 19,1970

211 Appl.No.: 90,902

52 U.S.Cl. ..239/135, 239/338 51 Int. Cl. ..B05b 1/24 5 [58] Field ofSearch ..239/l33, 134, 135, 136, 137,

239/138, 338; 222/146 R, 146 H, 146 HA,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS R23,55l 9/1952 Axelson et a1. ..239/l33 3,236,420 2/ 1966 Leika ..239/ 134 X 3,472,455 10/1969 Johnson et a1 ..239/135 [451 Oct. 3, 1972 3,512,718 5/1970 Cranage ..239/338 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 37,975 4/1956 Poland ..239/ l 33 1,170,661 l/l959 France ..222/l46 HE Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King Assistant ExaminerReinhold W. Thieme Attorney-Cohn and Powell [57] ABSTRACT This spray unit includes a container and a closure cap. A nebulizer unit and a heater unit are attached to the closure cap and so arranged that the heater element and the aspirator tube of said units are located sideby-side and project into the container parallel to each other. The heater element and the aspirator tube are clamped together so that the column of liquid passing up the aspirator tube is subjected to localized, rapid heating.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENT'EDucfs m2 GERALD L. Roqesza BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:

This invention relates generally to a spray unit heating attachment and more particularly to a heating attachment for use with a nebulizer unit providing a fine spray.

The use of oxygen and other gases for respiratory medicinal purposes is well known. Oxygen in particular has a'high rnoisture absorption characteristic and tends to dry out or dehydrate the respiratory tissues unless used in a humidified state. A nebulizer producing a sufficiently fine spray to reach the alveoli of the lungs without being trapped in the bronchia is disclosed in U. S. Pat. N .,3,5 12,718.

It is highly desirable, in many instances, to provide not only humidified oxygen but heated, humidified oxygen in the form of a very fine spray. Providing oxygen, which is heated as well as humidified, presents problems when an emergency occurs because of the time factor involved in the heating process. Obviously, the time taken to heat the humidifying liquid is highly critical in an emergency situation. In general, known methods of heating the humidifying liquid consist simply of placing a conventional immersion heater in the reservoir of the nebulizer container. The time taken to provide a heated spray by this common convection method is about fifteen to twenty minutes and it will readily be understood that, in an emergency, such a delay in administering humidified, heated oxygen could be fatal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The present invention produces a fine, heated spray eminently suitable for the purpose of providing a vapor stream having the requisite characteristics to penetrate beyond the bronchia to the alveoli and thereby preclude dehydration of the lung tissue. The heating method is particularly useful in conjunction with atomizers and nebulizers such as those disclosed in the aforementioned U. S. Pat. No. 3,512,7l8 and represents an improvement to such atomizers and nebulizers.

By using a direct heat exchange method, the time required for heating the nebulizer spray is reduced considerably thereby obviating many of the critical delays inherent in prior known heating methods. Further, the present invention provides a heated nebulizer spray unit which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and highly efficient in operation.

The spray unit includes a liquid container having a cap providing closure means at the open end. A-nebulizer jet unit is attached to the cap, said unit including an elongate aspirator tube immersible in the humidifying liquid. A heater unit including an inwardly projecting, elongate heater element is attached to the cap, the heater element being ,adjacently disposed of the aspirator tube.

The heater element and the aspirator tube are disposed in side-by-side relation and are clamped together by means of a spring clip so that heat is conductively exchanged from the heater element to the aspirator tube directly, and in addition, from the heater element to the aspirator tube indirectly by way of the spring clip. This clamped connection insures that the heat from the heater element is transferred to a relatively small column of liquid as it moves up the tube much more quickly than to the mass of liquid in the container reservoir.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in cross section, of the nebulizer jar assembly;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the nebulizer and FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary viewof the nebulizer jet unit, shown partly in cross section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing and first to FIG. 1, it will be understood that the nebulizer jar assembly includes a jar 10, partly filled with a liquid 11, and having a screw-top closure cap 12. Attached to the outside of the cap 12 and communicating with the inside of the jar are respectively: a gas inlet assembly 13; a combined liquid and gas assembly 14; and a whistle assembly 15. A heat exchange unit, generally indicated by numeral 18, extends within the jar and includes a control head 54 which is also attached to the cap 12.

The nebulizer jet unit, generally indicated by numeral 16, is shown in enlarged detail in FIG. 3 and includes a body 17 connected to the inlet assembly 13. The body 17 includes a plug 20 threadedly interfitting a socketed cap 21, the plug 20 having a nipple 22 which is connected to the gas inlet assembly 13 by a nut 23 and sealed by an O-ring 24. At its lower end, the plug 20 includes a separable tip 25 sealed by means of an O- ring 26. The plug '20 and the socketed cap 21 are sealed by means of an O-ring 27.

The socketed cap 21 includes a substantially conical bottom wall and the plug tip 25 includes a compatible annular shoulder 31 that seats and aligns the tip 25 within the socket to provide adjacent, shaped faces on the plug 20 and the cap 21 which are disposed in spaced relation from each other to provide spaced chambers separated by a peripheral gap as will be described.

Part of the adjacent, shaped face of the plug tip 25 is provided by a projection 32having a surface configuration which cooperates with the configuration of a conical bottom wall 30 of the cap 21 to define a mixing chamber 33 and a liquid chamber 34. The projection 32 is chamfered to define a frusto-conical face 35 spaced from the conical bottom wall 30 to provide a substantially annular gap 36 communicating between the annular liquid chamber 34 and the mixing chamber 33.

The plug 20- is provided with a bored passageway 40 communicating with the mixing chamber 33 and receiving gas at its upper end 41 from the inlet assembly 13. At its lower end, the passageway is constricted to provide a throat 42 disposed immediately above a divergent orifice 43 leading into the mixing chamber 33. The gas and liquid outlet from the mixing chamber 33'is provided by a circular exit orifice 44 located at the apex of the conical bottom wall 30 and in substantial alignment with the passageway 40. The conical bottom wall 30 communicates with an inclined, bored hole 45 .which communicates in turn with a dejar assembly,

pending tube 46 at the other end of which is connected at cranked tube47. The bored hole 45 and the tubes 46 and 47 constitute anaspirator means adapted to draw the liquid 11 into the liquid chamber 34. A baffle 50 is attached to the tube 46 and shaped to provide a cylindrical, curved surface 52, disposed in substantially diametrical alignment with the axially aligned bored passageway 40 and the exit orifice 44.

The heat excha'nge assembly 18 includes a control head 54; a cartridge heater 55, constituting a heater element, and a sensor unit, generally indicated by numeral 56. The control head includes a housing 57 having a press-fit cover 58. A rotatable switch 59 attached to the cover 58 provides a manual switch for adjustingv the temperature of the cartridge heater unit 55 and to this end, the switch 59 is connected to the heater 55 by electrical circuitry (not shown). The sensor unit 56 includes a sensor finger 60 which is likewise connected to the switch 59'by electrical circuitry (not shown).

The cartridge heater 55 includes a flanged and threaded upper portion 61 secured to the bottom of the housing 57 and the cartridge heater 55 is attached to the cap 12 bylrneans of a nut 64 so that said heater projects downwardly into the liquid 11. A sensor well 63, which houses". the sensing finger 60, also includes a flanged and threaded upper portion 65 which is adhesively secured to the bottom of the housing 57 and attached to the cap 12 by means of a nut 66 so that the sensor unit 56 projects downwardly into the interior of the jar 10. A conductor 68 is connected to an electric power source. -"i

Specifically, as clearly shown in FIG. 1, the cartridge heater 55 is disposed in adjacent engaged relation to the lower, cranked portion 48 of the aspirator tube 47. It will be understood that the tube 47 is cranked sufiiciently so that said heater 55 clears the body 17 of the nebulizer jet unit .16 and yet contacts the aspirator tube 47 With this structural arrangement heat from the cartridge heater 55 istransferred locally to the column of liquid in the aspirator-tube 47 resulting in rapid heating of this liquid, which is supplied to the nebulizer unit 16, as comparedwith the heat transfer to the much larger mass of liquid 1'. A spring clip 67 clamps the cartridge heater 55 to the lower portion 48 of the aspirator tube 47 so that heat is transferred directly by the conduction to the said aspirator tube 47. The spring clip 67 is preferably of'metal so that it assists in the conduction process. Further the use of the clip 67 facilitates separation of the cartridge heater 55 and the aspirator tube 47 from eachother for autoclaving.

It is thought thatthe structural arrangement of the heated nebulizer jet unit has become fully apparent from the foregoingdescription of parts. For completeness of disclosure,'.however, the operation of the unit will be briefly summarized.

In general, the nebulizer jar contains a liquid such as water 11. A gas such as oxygen is fed into the jar 10 ,under pressure; humidified by the nebulizer jet unit 16 and then passes from the jar 10 by way of the outlet as r sembly 14. There is no significant build-up of pressure at the upper end 41 and is admitted to the mixing chamber 33 after being constricted in the throat 42. The configuration of the orifice 43 provides a clean exit hole with optimum divergence and the gas enters the mixing chamber 33 with minimum turbulence. When the gas passes through the mixing chamber 33, it

creates a partial vacuum providing suction to draw the liquid 11 through the aspirator means provided by the bored hole 45 and tubes 46 and 47 and into the annular liquid chamber 34. The liquid is discharged into the mixing chamber 33 after passing through the annular gap 36. Because of the annular nature of the liquidchamber 34, which communicates with the mixing chamber 33 by means of the annular gap 36, the

aspirated liquid enters the mixing chamber 33 circumferentially rather than in a single stream. In addition, the mixing process is performed interiorly of the body 17 in the mixing chamber 33 rather than exteriorly as in the case of the common atomizer.

It will be observed that the cartridge heater 55 is attached directly to the cranked portion 48 of the aspirator tube 47. This structural arrangement decreases the heating time of the nebulizer spray considerably because the heat is transferred locally to the relatively small amount of liquid passing through the aspirator tube 47. It is not necessary for the reservoir of liquid 1 l as a whole to be heated to the desired temperature as is the case with the usual spray heating method, which relies on a simple immersion heater system. Further, the spring clip 67 not only assists in the transference of heat by conduction means, it also insures that the aspirator tube 47 and the cartridge heater 55 are held together in clamped contacting relation. Thus, because of the arrangement of parts described above, the heating time is reduced to a fraction of that formerly required primarily because of the use of conduction, rather than convection to effectuate the heat exchange process.

I claim as my invention:

1. A heated spray unit comprising:

a. a liquid container,

b. closure means for the container,

c. spray means attached to the closure means and including an elongate aspirator tube and extending into the container and immersible in the liquid, and

d. heater means attached to the closure means and including an elongate heater element projecting into the container and adjacently disposed in contact with an axial length of the aspirator tube in the container for heat conduction.

. A spray unit as defined in claim 1, in which:

e. clamping means of heat conducting material engages and holds the heater element in direct clamped contact with the aspirator tube, the clamping means assisting in conducting heat from the heater element to the tube.

3. A heated spray unit comprising:

a. a liquid container,

b. closure means for the container,

c. spray means attached to the closure means and including an elongate aspirator tube immersible in the liquid,

d. heater means attached to the closure means and including a heater element adjacently disposed of the aspirator tube in conductive relation therewith,

e. the closure means including a cap,

f. the spray means being provided by a nebulizer jet unit attached to the cap and the aspirator tube projecting inwardly of the container,

g. the heater means being attached to the cap and the heater element projecting inwardly of the container in substantially parallel relation to the aspirator tube, and

h. clamping means holding the heater means in direct clamped relation to the aspirator tube.

4. In a nebulizer spray unit:

a. a liquid container including an open end, 

1. A heated spray unit comprising: a. a liquid container, b. closure means for the container, c. spray means attached to the closure means and including an elongate aspirator tube and extending into the container and immersible in the liquid, and d. heater means attached to the closure means and including an elongate heater element projecting into the container and adjacently disposed in contact with an axial length of the aspirator tube in the container for heat conduction.
 2. A spray unit as defined in claim 1, in which: e. clamping means of heat conducting material engages and holds the heater element in direct clamped contact with the aspirator tube, the clamping means assisting in conducting heat from the heater element to the tube.
 3. A heated spray unit comprising: a. a liquid container, b. closure means for the container, c. spray means attached to the closure means and including an elongate aspirator tube immersible in the liquid, d. heater means attached to the closure means and including a heater element adjacently disposed of the aspirator tube in conductive relation therewith, e. the closure means including a cap, f. the spray means being provided by a nebulizer jet unit attached to the cap and the aspirator tube projecting inwardly of the container, g. the heater means being attached to the cap and the heater element projecting inwardly of the container in substantially parallel relation to the aspirator tube, and h. clamping means holding the heater means in direct clamped relation to the aspirator tube.
 4. In a nebulizer spray unit: a. a liquid container including an open end, b. a cap detachably attached to the open end of the container, c. a nebulizer jet unit including a body attached to the cap and an elongate aspirator tube extending from the body and immersible in the liquid, said tube having a cranked portion spaced from the body, d. heater means attached to the cap and including an elongate heater element depending from the cap in adjacent parallel relation to the cranked portion of the aspirator tube, and e. a clamp attaching the heater element to the aspirator tube in conductive relation. 